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I heard bees actually build circles, which turn into hexagons due to melting and reforming.
by kuschku 5y ago
I heard bees actually build circles, which turn into hexagons due to melting and reforming.
- dtech 5y agoWhy would it consistently turn into a hexagon as opposed to an octagon?
- mytailorisrich 5y agoHexagonal packing is the densest way to pack circles or spheres [1] [2]. That's why it pops up all the time in nature, from honeycombs to crystals, the way bubbles, beads, etc arrange, etc. Of course circles and spheres are also optimal in term of surface area to volume ratio. Bees have evolved to build the optimal honeycomb. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_packing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_packing [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close-packing_of_equal_spheres https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close-packing_of_equal_spheres
- seanc 5y agoOctagons don't fit together on their own; they need squares in between them. Like a soccer ball. Hexagons let you cover area with the same shape over and over again.